part 2 life of john the baptist And what he's done for us. If you would tonight, take your Bibles and turn with me to the Gospel of Luke and we'll be in chapter number one and be reading in verse number 57 to begin with. Luke chapter number one and verse number 57 will read down through verse 66 and then we'll do some skipping around of some other verses. So if he would stand with me as we read these scriptures tonight, concerning John the Baptist and his birth and the things that were happening during this time. Verse number 57, Luke chapter one says, now Elizabeth, Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered. She brought forth a son and her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her. And they rejoiced with her and it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said not so, but his name should be called John. And they said unto her there is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father how that he would have him have him called and he asked for writing tablet and wrote saying his name is John. They marveled all and his mouth was open immediately and his tongue loose and he spake and praise God and fear came on all the dwell around about them and all these sayings were noise abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts saying what manner child shall this be and the hand of the Lord was with him look verse number 76. And thou child shall be called the prophet of the highest thou should go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way to give knowledge of salvation unto his people and by remission of their sins. Now look at verse number 80 and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the desert till the day of his showing unto Israel. All right, you may be seated. Here we find the very beginning part of the life and the birth of this boy that was called John the Baptist and I was looking through some of my. It's amazing how you have things and you forget you have them when you don't read and look in them very often. I was looking through my books I found this this little book here I've had it for a number of years. I bought it some used bookstore for $2.50 and I would take anything for it written by man by the name of FB Meyer. FB Meyer was a writer of days gone by and he wrote a number of books concerning different personalities in the scripture and I looked up some things about him this afternoon just by way of introduction concerning his life and the type of person he was. He said one of the greatly loved preachers of his day. FB Meyer was a pastor, author, Bible teacher and evangelist. He was born in London, England 1847, grew up in a Christian home. After attending Brighton College he graduated from London University at 1869 and completed and completed his theological training at Regents Park Baptist Baptist College. Dr. Marbigan pastoring in 1870 and it was pastor of the Priority Street Baptist Chapel there in London. There he met D.L. Moody who made a lasting impression upon his life and taught him valuable spiritual lessons. These two godly men formed a lifelong relationship. In 1895 he went to Christ church in London with only one hundred attending. Within two years he was preaching regularly to over 2,000 people. He remained there for 15 years and then began a ministry of conference preaching and evangelizing, traveling to South Africa and Far East on mission endeavors. A distinct feature of FB Meyer's ministry was his outcry against social evils of his day. Not only was he effective in the temperance movement but he was also responsible for the closing of over 500 houses of prostitution and he also formed a prison aid society. A devoted student of God's word he was the author of over 40 books including Bible biographies which were character studies, sermon volumes, expository works. He had a great influence upon such spiritual men as J. Wilbur Chapman, Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon once said Meyer preaches as a man who has seen the face of God continually. So we find that these folks have given their lives and given time to write down things for us. I believe it's almost as bad as treason not to take a little bit of time and read what they had to say. I'll guarantee you a man that wrote back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They had a different style than what we have today. They had a different style of thinking. They had a different style of writing. But their writing was very expressive and it had, after you get through some of the sentence structure, it's very expressive in what is said. And I want to just read a couple, just two or three paragraphs out of this little book. I made a copy because it prints a little. I can't read it. But for copy me, thank the Lord for copy machines. It blows them up where you can read it really easy. But it says the morning star shining in the brightening glow of dawn is the finest emblem that nature can supply of the herald who proclaims the rising of the son of righteousness. Answering across the Gulf of 400 years to his brother, prophet Malachiah, who had foretold that sunrise and the healing in his wings. Every sign, this is speaking of John the Baptist, every sign attests the unique and singular glory of the Baptist. Not that his career was singularized by a blaze of wonder like the multiplication of the widow's meal or the descent of the fire of heaven consumed the altar for Elijah. For he was expressly said that John did no miracle. Not that he owed anything to the advantageous circumstances of wealth and rank. For he was not a palace loving courier, clothed in soft raiment or found in the king's court. Not that he was a master of the superb eloquence like Isaiah or Ezekiel for he was content just to be only a cry in the wilderness. Yet his master said of him that among them that are born of woman, there is none risen a great. There's not risen greater or birth born greater than John the Baptist. In six brief months, as one has noted, the young prophet of the wilderness became the center to which all the land went forth. We see the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the soldiers and the publicans enthralled by his ministry, the Sanhedrin forced to investigate his claims. The petty potentates of Palestine caused a tremble on their thrones while he has left a name and an influence that will never cease out of the world. There's just a few words about John the Baptist and the eloquence and the need that the world had at that particular time for this man that was called John. In our verses that we read last week, we noted just a few things about the family and the background of John the Baptist, how that he was named by the angel by God. God had given Zacharias the name before he was born and Zacharias really didn't believe that and understand it and so the angel put a plague upon him that he could not speak. He was not able to communicate by speaking. He could only do that by writing. In our scripture night it seems as though not only that he could not speak but he also could not hear because they made signs to him concerning the name and they trying to communicate with him. So we find now in these verses we read about the birth of this little boy that's always an exciting time to have a baby birthed into a family. It's always a joy to see the new life that has is a gift of God that has come into the home of a husband and wife that love the Lord and have trying to raise a family for the Lord. And the Bible says here that John's birth was probably a little more exciting than some of the others that we think about because this birth was promised by the angel Gabriel. We read last week where the Gabriel came into Zacharias and told him that there's going to be a sunborn and the parents were past the childbearing age and they had already passed that particular time in their life and so this was a miraculous birth that was going to take place. Zacharias was not able to talk when the angel got through and then we find that as we read tonight the naming of this little boy, this baby that we call and that God had named John. In verse number 57, in verse number 58 we find here the delivering or the bringing into this world, this boy, this baby that would be one of the greatest characters of the Bible. It would be one of the great characters of the New Testament and God used him greatly to bring a group of people together to establish what we now know of as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. This little boy was the promised blessing. He was a promised seed that had been given to them and through patients they waited and all of a sudden the process of time it says in verse number 57. Now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered and she brought forth a sun. So we know the period of time of the human race nine month period that they waited in patients that Zacharias could not speak and he could not communicate in the normal way and in patients they were waiting for this little boy to be born, this boy of promise, this boy that would be a miracle birth and Elizabeth was waiting for her reproach to be removed. Remember last week as we studied where the scripture says she herself said that she had had that great reproach of not being able to bear children and they had prayed all those years that God would give them a child and seemingly God had not heard their prayer. Although God had heard their prayer but there was a specific time in God's plan that he was going to bring forth this little boy. I call attention to it continually and maybe more so than I ever have in my my preaching ministry is that it is certainly a stabilizing fact to realize that God has everything in control. Many times I say that I don't know how many times that comes to my thought and to my as I read the scripture and as we look at it from a human standpoint and we look at it from through human eyes, it would seem that Zacharias and Elizabeth had just prayed and prayed and God had not answered. Just because God had not answered does not mean that God would not answer. And so they have prayed and now the angel has come to them and given not to them the angel came to Zacharias. I do not believe the angel came to Elizabeth. I think she got the message from Zacharias because the scripture usually if there is no need for a second appearance then there is not one and I believe that Zacharias got the message from the angel. He tells Elizabeth her his wife and she is waiting for her reproach to be removed. There within her bosom is that child growing and there is a day coming now that that child is going to be birthed. Verse 57 tells us that when it was full time, when everything was in place, everything was right. She brought forth a son, she delivered and she brought forth a son. And preparations had to be made and those nine months of patience taken care of but it came on time. You see the scripture tells us also concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4 that the Lord came right on time in the process of time. The Lord was born and wasn't any mistake in it. There wasn't any chance in it. God again in control and by the way God is very punctual. He is on time. He doesn't do like we do and we sometimes will say well I'll be there in five minutes and twenty minutes were there. Sometimes we're not too punctual in our thinking and sometimes they get in the way but God's right on time. He's never been late. He's never been early. He's always been on time. At this particular birth from the human standpoint it looked like that God maybe was late and they should have had that child earlier when they were younger and when they had the vitality and the energy to keep up with the child. Every time our grandchildren come I'm so glad they go home. I mean it's just an energy all from the time they walk through the door to the time they leave it just go go go and I thought I know Amy wasn't that active when she was was little but it was that we just probably had more energy when she was that little and it's a little bit different. So when we come to looking at the time frame through human eyes we would say well John should have been born when they were of age but that would have not been a miracle. You see God gave a miracle in the birth John was a miracle child and the Lord promised them and by the way I've got written down here the promises of God the promise of God is never affected by circumstances. Our circumstances does not alter does not make any change or make any difference in God's plan. The circumstances that I'm going through God knows about that but God has already planned around that God has already taken care of that and so my circumstances does not alter the plan of God and the circumstance of Zacharias and Elizabeth of their age did not alter God's plan. For if God can create us if God can can can can can make us as he has then certainly God can give forth a man and a woman child that would be seemingly out of out of focus or out of time as far as man is concerned. And so they received the promise of the blessing and the blessing of that promise that a baby is going to be born and they wait patiently for that. They wait those nine months and verse 57 says that time has come and a little boy is born. There's rejoicing here and this child is born you'll notice in verse number 58 it says and her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her and they rejoiced with her. There's always rejoicing in the birth of a child there's rejoicing in that little baby there's rejoicing in a new member of the family. Now in this particular family they are of older age there's no other children and John is born and all her neighbors and her cousins they heard how the Lord had been good to her. That heard how the Lord had given a miracle and how God had showed mercy upon her and had given them a child and it was no such thing as luck even thought about here it was God that did that. It was God that provided it was God that performed and it was God that gave this little boy to this family. And so therefore her neighbors and her cousins they heard how the Lord showed mercy upon her. Why would they think it was mercy because remember now it was a reproach for a Jewish lady not to have any children. It was a reproachful thing for them not to have children in their family and so now they have heard how the child is born and they rejoice with her because God has given and shown mercy to her. Now as soon as the baby is born the begins to come a dispute about the name. We touched on this a little bit last week but let's go a little more detail about it here in these next few verses verse number 59. Now the Eastern world the Middle Eastern world is at this time as far different than where we are in our Western society. Now most of us know what the name of the baby is going to be before the baby is even born. Now years ago, I'm going to age myself here, years ago you didn't know if it was going to be a boy or a girl so you had two names picked out. We had two names picked out for ours and one a boy and one a girl. And so in the Western world we have a name picked out while we're waiting, while the patiently waiting for the child to be born. We have names that are there and when the child is born they immediately have that name. It's not that way, it wasn't that way when John was born because the scripture says here that it came to pass on the eighth day. Now the child, the male children in Israel we know the custom and we know the plan that God gave for every male child on the eighth day of their birth. They were circumcised and that was a sign that they belonged to God and at that particular time is when they named the baby. Eight days after birth then the circumcision was done and then the naming of the child. And so we find here that when this takes place, when that time comes, came to pass on the eighth day. They came to circumcise the child and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father. Now they've gone through then and all the friends and the neighbors and the cousins all over there and they begin to call this little boy Zacharias because that's the father's name. That was the tradition that was usually what took place sometimes in our our society. We have the first born if it's a male sometimes we we name them after the father. That's what they were doing here. They call him Zacharias and so all of a sudden I mean that's just the name that was supposed to be as far as they were concerned. That's just his name Zacharias and they circumcise and and they name him they begin to call him Zacharias. That was their tradition. That was their way. That wasn't the correct name. That wasn't the name that that angel Gabriel had given to Zacharias. Zacharias had heard the angel speak and the angel said his name should be called John and he is called that from from heaven. And so verse 59 all the family and all the friends and all the relatives have come together and they just say well and I can sure and just let me imagine a little bit. I'm sure they looked at John and they looked at that little baby and said isn't little Zacharias cute. That's what we normally say about babies even though they're sometimes they're not cute. We say they're cute. Somebody somebody said I've never seen a pretty baby and we all say we haven't seen mine because we all think ours are pretty and they're cute and they're they're cuddling and all the things about a baby. And so I can just imagine how they were there and and they were talking about how cute that little baby Zacharias was and verse number 60. Elizabeth says she answered said not so but his name should be called John and so here is the correct name. The first one was just the consensus everybody thought it be Zacharias but here we find that Elizabeth gives to all her family and all her friends her loved one said no his name shall be called John there. That's the correct name she stood against all those that were there her statement didn't stop their opposition look at verse number 61 and they said there is none of that kindred that is called by this name. And they said what do you mean calling him John there's nobody in your family named John why call him John. She stood and even amidst the opposition you know I put down here just as a as a thought bringing over and applying it to our life. Everything that we do by faith many times those things are opposed by the flesh what we live and how we serve God by faith this old flesh doesn't want to do it. We live by faith and and our everything in us is live by sight. We want to live by spiritual things and everything within us the human nature says no don't live by faith live by sight live by what you can work up how you can do it and how you can figure it out don't worry about this thing call faith. But Elizabeth told him said this name of the name of this baby shall be John so there is the correct name. We noted last week as we talked a little bit about this ahead of time is what Elizabeth said was not really enough to confirm it to them. And so Zacharias had to make a statement here and in verse number 62 and they made signs to his father. Now the reason they made signs to his father is because they was arguing with Elizabeth. They did not agree with what Elizabeth had said she says his name is going to be John or they say his name is going to be Zacharias. She says his name is going to be John and so they they just turned to Zacharias and they made signs to him. That's why I think we have to conclude that not only was he not able to speak but he was not able to hear because they could have talked to him and he could have answered them by writing on that tablet that he called for but they made signs to him. And you'll notice here that says here how he would have him call in verse number 63 it says he asked for writing tablet. Now it's not like what we have writing tablets of those days was usually some type of a board with wax on it and you scratched off and you made symbols and signs and words in the Hebrew language or the Greek language. And it wasn't writing like we have before us but it was a place where he could make known of what John's what the baby's name would be. And so he confirms here that his name not shall be John but his name is John. It's not that we're going to call him John it is that he is called John. And so Zacharias' statement is quite a bit more down to the strength of him being the head of the family and it a little more stronger in his wording here. And so he calls for that writing tablet and he wrote on it saying his name is John. That's settled the question and the Bible says here they marveled all all of them they just were surprised they were they marveled at what Zacharias had said. His statement here was final his his name John don't call him Zacharias don't call him anything. He his name is John this points to a higher authority because he realized that it was God that had named him. And so therefore it was not up to discussion. Anything God says is really not up for discussion. Anything the Lord has told us in his word is not up for discussion. Somebody says well I'll I'll pray about being baptized. Don't have to pray about being baptized and Bible tells us to be baptized. Not up for discussion. Somebody says well I'll pray about timing. No I shouldn't have to pray about timing. It's not up for discussion. The scripture tells us that we're to time and to give to the Lord. And so there are some things that just like say well I'll look at the commandments and find out which one I don't want to go by and where I don't want to live. And so I'll just I'll pick them out. No it's not up for discussion. That's why I say this book is not negotiable. You don't negotiate on it. You just believe it. You just follow the scripture. And this is what John was doing in his statement here or what Zacharias was doing here in his statement. He was saying it's not negotiable. His name is John for God. His name to him that and that is his name. And so there is the dispute of the child taking care of by the word of the father and especially the word of the higher authority who had named him who was of course the God of heaven had given Gabriel the name and he had relayed that to Zacharias. Let's notice here the next portion what the scripture says. Some declarations that are made about this child. Some things that's going to take place. What's going to be in his life. Now when Zacharias confirmed that his name was John the Bible says that that his mouth was opened immediately and he began to praise the Lord. Notice here in verse number 64 his mouth was opened. His tongue loose and he spake and praise God. And then the Bible says fear came on all that wealth around about them. And all these things were nausea broad and all the hill country of Judea. Here's the declaration about the child. His name is John and the title that is given and declaring that look in verse number 76. The Bible says and thou child shall be called the prophet of the highest. For thou shuggle before the face of the Lord to prepare his way and to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins. Here we find that the title of John now is that he is the prophet of the highest. This is something that's declared about who John was going to be and what he was going to be and what he was going to do. He was going to declare and he was going to be a prophet of the highest. Now we know who that is and Lord had got into the highest when Jesus was born. Here John is a prophet concerning the God of heaven and primarily the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. No earthly title can compare to this title for John means gracious and now through the grace and the marvelous mercy of the Lord. He is going to be proclaiming and be a prophet, a preparer of the way of this one that would come and this title emphasizes the Lord Jesus Christ is deity. He is going to be God in the flesh. I have to remember John is about six months earlier than Jesus in his birth. So Jesus hasn't been born yet but the prophet here the priest Zacharias makes a prophecy that John would be the prophet of the highest. If you go back to the book of Malachi you'll find that Malachi said there would be a man come and he'd come out of the wilderness and he'd prepare the way of the Lord and that's exactly what John did for the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse number 76 he's going to go before his face of the Lord to prepare his way. He was a forerunner, a go before of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've said this before as a forerunner in the days in which John lived and Jesus lived and when royalty or dignity would move from one place to another they would have those that would go out before them and they would make sure the roads were clear. They'd make sure that as they traveled there wasn't any brush in the road now again we have to think about roads it's not like our highways. They had roads far different than ours and sometimes trees would fall across and sometimes the potholes would be there and the preparer of the way would go before the dignity before the for the king before some dignitary would come and they'd make the road smooth and they'd make the road straight. They'd make it very, very easy for them to travel and that's why John was he was a forerunner. He was the one that prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. He was one that's going to give knowledge of salvation just really real plain in our everyday language our everyday English John was a preacher. He prepared the way of salvation and you'll notice there's a big discussion and there's a big controversy over this man called John but I believe John's message is the same message that we have tonight. You'll notice here in this verse it says to give in verse 77 to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins. What do we preach tonight we preach salvation by grace and that our sins can be remitted our sins can be removed by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now again I do understand that John was in that in between time the Bible says the law and the prophets were until John we mentioned this morning that God deals with mankind and has dealt with mankind in different ways. He dealt with them in the Garden of Eden differently than he did under human government and under the law and the law was given on Mount Sinai but thank God on Mount Calvary the law was fulfilled. And John is the one is that go between here's that one that sort of bridged the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament but John had a message like our message. And somebody says well was John's baptism was it Christian baptism I believe when we study this and look into it we'll find that his baptism refers to the same thing as ours does as a as a child of God. And so there's a lot of controversy about John in his life because of that inner meter a time that he served the Lord but he was a preparer of the way that pronounced and would herald that the king is coming. That Jesus is on his way and the Messiah is coming he said repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand that was his message. What's our message tonight the same thing repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand the the Lord is is coming and so as John prepared the way and as John was a preacher of righteousness and a preacher of remission of sin. And the scripture says here that he was to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of sin through the tender mercy of our God. And so that is John's declaration that's who he is and what he's supposed to do now we go back to verse 65 and 66. There's a discussion about this little baby we're sort of we're jumping but back and forth and verse number 65 and 66 we find here. That as Zacharias mouth has been opened in verse 64 and the scripture says that fear came on all that went round about them and all these sayings were noise abroad through all the heel country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts saying what manner of child shall this be and the hand of the Lord was with him. Now we have to put our minds back a little bit to what they're looking for when when John was born they were looking for Messiah they were looking for Jesus they were looking for the son of God. Now John's birth was a miraculous birth John's birth was a was a birth that was was was different and so they hear about all these things his name is not what it's supposed to be. His work is something that is different than they've ever heard of and and the Bible says it was noise abroad all the countryside. They began to talk about this baby that's born and they call him John and they they had fear the scripture says because of these things and these things were noise abroad that all the heel country of Judea and all they that heard them laid them in their hearts. They just listened and they pondered what was being said and the Bible says here what manner of child should this be the beginning to wonder later on in the ministry of John the Baptist John has to tell them I am not he I am not Messiah I'm the one that's running before him and they were looking and they were anticipating and they I believe they understood that they were living in that timeframe that Messiah would come. You know tonight we're living that time frame and I believe he's going to come again and we look for things and we see things and we read things in the newspaper we say Jesus is coming soon. Well when it was noise noise abroad all the heel side and the country side there of Judea they they begin to wonder is this Messiah we've heard about him there's something different it could this possibly be him and even in his ministry John had to deny that he was Messiah and so there is excitement of the discussions and the extent here was that it was a noise abroad about and everybody heard the news and spread fast about John who would later be called the Baptist. They laid in their heart what kind of child is this we'll just wait and see and we'll look at these events and we'll just ponder them in our heart. Then lastly tonight we find in verse number 66 the latter part of it and verse number 80 the scripture says the last sentence of verse 66 says and the hand of the Lord was with him. Verse 80 says in the child grew waxed strong in spirit and was in the desert till the day of his showing unto Israel. Now we thank the Lord for Dr. Luke here that gives us such details concerning John because these details are not found anywhere else. But John Luke tells us here that as John grew the hand of the Lord is upon him. He was a chosen vessel. He was born before he was named before he's ever born. He was named before he's ever conceived and now as he grows the scripture says here that the hand of the Lord is upon him. I'll tell you if you're going to develop anything spiritually it has to be by the hand of God. It has to be by the working of the spirit of God in our heart. We can take all the classes and we can read all the books and we can do all the things they tell us to do but if we're going to develop spiritually it's because God is within our heart. If we're going to do anything for God at all in the spiritual realm it's going to have to be by the work of the Holy Spirit. We can't work it up by natural means we can't do the work in the human flesh and human instrumentality. If we're going to do anything spiritually it's going to have to be by the Holy Spirit. And if John was going to do anything for God it was going to be God working in and through him and the Bible says the hand of the Lord was upon him. The hand of God the scripture we read last week and he was not to have any strong drink and he was to be a different person. He was to be a separated person. The scripture tells us that he had a different type of diet. His diet when he came out of the wilderness out of the desert we'll find that he ate locust and wild honey. He looked different and he dressed different and he was totally different and everything than they'd had ever seen. There was that physical development he grew. That's a natural development just like children it's born in our family grow. We look back and say my goodness where's all the time gone they've grown up they're gone. He developed physically he developed spiritually the Bible says here in verse 80 that not only did the child grow but he waxed strong in the spirit the spiritual development. For every one of us has been born again that's we've been saved there should be a period of time from that point in our life of salvation until we leave this world there should be a development of a spiritual growth. That we grow and we mature we grow up in the Lord. If you've been saved any length of time you certainly need to be able to know more than you knew from the day you got saved. If all I knew was what I knew from the day I got saved I would not get past salvation. I would not get past of just trusting the Lord I'd not get past of that fear of hell. I'm glad down through the years in my life and I know in your life that the Lord has put us in different positions different places and he's taught us some things. The scripture says we grow in the spirit of the Lord as John did we we grow in the grace of the Lord. And so there is a physical development of the child but there's also a spiritual development of that inward man and as a child of God is a Christian that spiritual growth is not by accident. It does not just happen in our personal life if we're going to grow spiritually it's going to have to be something that we desire and we want and God helps us with that. The most important area I believe in our spiritual growth is our home. That's the most important place. Somebody says well I'll send them to Sunday school and that will help them spiritually and that is true but he can only do as much as the home does. And then they'll say well you've got a Christian school so we'll just send our children and let you teach them spiritual things. We can do that but it doesn't take the place of home. It doesn't take the place of mom and dad teaching and training as the scripture tells us to. The most important place of any child is the learning and the training that they get at home and the spiritual development as a child of God. There is physical development there's spiritual development but then there's here I call it the vocational development what he's going to do. It says here and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. There's a period of time we don't know exactly how long there's a period of time that he was in the desert and there I believe is where he received his strength for his public ministry. This is where God took him and trained him. He had had that early development of a child. He grew up in Zacharias and Elizabeth's home and we saw last week that Zacharias was a priest and Elizabeth was a servant of God. And so the home was right and now in this one verse we find that he's grown up. Sometimes we have a hard time reading scripture and realizing time passes real quick in a verse. The child grew. That means he grew up. That means he's gone from the baby that we read about early first thing and now he's a man and he's in the desert. He's in the wilderness. God has developed him. He has developed physically. He has developed spiritually from his home life. And now God has got him on the back side of the desert and God is helping him and showing him and God alone with the Lord is going to develop this man unto where he finally said there's not been a man born among women in greater than John the Baptist. Somebody says the greatest man that ever lived was the Lord Jesus Christ and that is true other than him there's not a greater that's been born than John the Baptist. That even includes the Apostle Paul. Paul ranks up there real high but the scripture says nobody greater than John why because the hand of the Lord was upon him. He was a preparer of the way. He was the announcer. He was the herald. He was the one that announced the whole the kingdom of God is in hand. It is he that looked one day and saw the Lord Jesus Christ coming and said behold the Lamb of God and take it away the cell of the world. It is John that proclaimed the message of who Jesus was. Therefore no wonder the Bible says nobody ever born any greater. He is the one that gave the message of the Lord Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Next week we'll go on and we'll develop some things about his early part of his ministry. If you read the scripture you'll find not only was John I'm sure we won't get into all of it but Elizabeth and Mary they had conversation together. They were cousins. They were relatives and so John was six months older than Jesus but John's ministry the bestest can be attributed to him lasted anywhere from six months to not more than a year. He wasn't didn't have a long ministry. The boy had a very powerful ministry and the fellow that I read earlier said even the potentates of their day wondered about him as because of their increased sin and John's inability to give in. He said what's wrong is wrong and what's sin is sin and therefore John lost his head because he would not give into the pressures of the political world in which he lived. John very influential man, very important man and tonight we found that he's born. He's grown up now and he's in the wilderness and he's waiting for one thing and that's for God to tell him it's time to go. It's time to pronounce it's time to tell the world that Jesus is coming and so that was he is the prophet of the highest. No greater name could be given to anybody, prophet of the highest. Let's stand together tonight.

PART 2

3 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST I know we call something else, the Lord's Prayer, most of the time, but when you come to John chapter 17, this is the Lord's Prayer. This is the prayer that Jesus prayed unto his Father. And I want us to read a few of these verses and then this morning, I want to deal with the subject of the salvation of the believer. The salvation of the believer, I'm glad this morning that we have salvation that has freely been given to us, and there's not a greater subject in the Scripture than the Lord of the salvation, salvation that we have. So if he would stand with me this morning, we read together John chapter 17. Verse number one, we begin. These words speak Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour is come, glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to his many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, and only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent. I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do. And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was, what a tremendous verse. The glory of the Lord before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gave us me out of the world, thy end they were, and thou gave us them me, and they have kept thy word. Now they have known all that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are thee, for I have given unto them the words which thou gave us me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou dissent me. These next four words, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me for thine, for they are thine, and I look over to verse number 18. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth, neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which thou believe on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, you may be seated. I guess one of the greatest issues that a person can settle in their heart is this thing of salvation, to know that we are born again, to know that we are going to heaven, to know that we have salvation that has been wrought or given to us by the Lord. I'm so very glad that there are many things in the scripture that tell us that we can know that we can be settled upon those things. I believe the greatest thing is to know that we are going to heaven when we leave this world, to know that when we pill our head at night or when we leave here in a tragic way or whatever way God has chosen for us to leave this world, to know that when we get to the other world, we are in the very presence of the Lord. As Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. There's no end between ground, there's no stopping over place, there's either heaven or hell, and for the believer is to be in the presence of the Lord, for the unbelievers to be in the presence of the damned. I'm glad we can know the person of salvation is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only hope of our salvation, He is the only access to God. He is the only way, there's not four or five different ways, there's not ten or twelve different ways, there is one way and He is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Him. We can know the person of salvation, we can know the purity of the Word of God, the scriptures for end them, we know that we have life eternal. The Bible says in Psalm number 12 verse 6 and 7 says the words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times. Now shall keep them, O Lord, thou shall preserve them from generation forever. I'm glad we have the Word of God that's been given to us so we can be settled upon the person of salvation, we can be understanding and be settled upon the purity of the scriptures but then thank God we can be settled and have understanding of the preservation of the saints. We believers, as the scripture tells us, we believe in the preservation, the perseverance of the children of God, Jude, verse 24 and verse 25 says Jude the servant of Jesus Christ, brother James to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called, now to Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever, amen. So there's some things here that we can be settled upon, these are things that are settled in my life and I'm glad that we can nail down our salvation, I'm glad we can nail it down and be sure that we're born again, that it's not by joining some church or it's not by repeating some prayer or signing a card or going through the baptismal waters or cleaning up our life or being rescued from some tragic accident that is not salvation, salvation is a work of God that comes to us and that we know that we've been delivered and redeemed from the penalty and the power of sin, that salvation that comes to each of us, if we've trusted Christ and trusted Him alone to save us, then according to the Bible, we have an eternal life, we have a salvation of that is forever, the salvation of the believer. The scripture tells us in John 3, 16 that we have everlasting life. The scripture says in John chapter 5 in verse 24, very, very, very, I say unto you, he that hearth my words and believe it on him that sent me, have everlasting life. So we have a everlasting life. The scripture says in first John chapter 5 verse 11 and this is the record that God have given unto us eternal life and this life is in his son. So we have an eternal life, we have an everlasting life. Someone has put it this way, everlasting is the length of it, eternal is the quality of it. And this is what we have in the Word and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we have received Christ as we've discussed and we have trusted Him as our Savior, know that salvation has come to us, I'm glad we find here in these words that Jesus talks about us, that Jesus is one delivering the prayer to his father and he said, Father, I'm glad that have ability to communicate and he said, God, I'm thankful for those whom you have given unto me and so he says, I pray for them there in verse number 9, he says, I pray for them not as I pray for the world because the world doesn't need, doesn't desire it. The world doesn't want the prayer of the righteous, but he said, I pray for them. I'm glad thank God he prayed for his disciples. He saw and knew what was going to take place in the life and he said, Father, I pray for them. I deliver my soul for them but in the verses where we read on later in that chapter, it says in verse, verse number 20, he says, neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. In that verse right there, you can put out beside verse number 20, you can write your name there. If you are a child of God, if you are saved, hear the Lord Jesus Christ and I pray not only for them, speaking of his disciples, but he said, I pray for them that shall believe because of their word, for those of us that have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ and thank God this morning, we have a salvation as a believer in Christ that is manifested to us and we are to give it and to spread it to the far corners of the world to tell people that Jesus saves. I can have an assurance and I can have a salvation and he can rest upon the price that Jesus paid. Thank God he paid the price and thank the Lord for that price that was given to us. The Bible says in Romans chapter 5, verse number 8, the scripture says that he was crucified for us. Thank God he was crucified. He went to the cross of Calvary for those of us and he dined there upon that old rugged crew across the Bible says that he bore our sins, he took our place, he bore our sins for us. I like that little word, those two little words for us, he did that for us. He not only prayed for us but the scripture says here that he paid the price for us. He bore the sins of the lost upon the cross of Calvary and there we can say he bore our sins. The scripture tells us that he became a curse for us. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He became a curse, he became a curse of God and he became the atonement of our sin for whatever was offered in the atonement and days gone by was of no use and of no good. It took the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us that we might have eternal life and therefore I as a believer, as a child of God, I have salvation as a believer and I can depend upon that because of the price that Jesus paid. He shed his blood, he bore our sins, he became our curse, he bought redemption to us. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 9 and verse number 12, neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption and there's those two words again for us. He hath read, has given to us a redemption that is an eternal redemption. Let's read that verse again, Hebrews 9 and 12, neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us, one of the greatest books in all the Bible is the book of Hebrews. It tells us that Jesus paid the price, he bore the sin, he became the curse for us, he bought redemption to us because of the price that he paid. I noticed three things in that verse there in Hebrews 9 and 12, first of all. We noticed that Jesus did was a flawless action. It was not by the blood of animals. Now up until this time, you can read the Old Testament, there was sacrifices that had to be given on a daily, weekly and sometimes a yearly sacrifice was given, they all had their different purposes and different places in the economy of the Jews religion and all of those things were pointing to one day when the perfect son of God would offer himself, as John said, the Lamb of God, that take of the way to send the world. And here we find when Jesus did that, his offering and his blood was a flawless offering because it was not with the blood of bulls and goats and calves and turtles does, but it was by his own blood that he offered up the blood of the sacrifice, so that which was holy, that we might have life. Not only was this offering flawless, but thank God it was finished. The Bible says here that he did it one time. I'm glad Jesus died only one time for the sins of mankind. He died for me upon the cross of Calvary and the Scripture tells us even in Hebrews that if we try to do it over again, we put him to an open shame and he'd have to be crucified of fresh again. And so we find here that the Apostle Paul, his I believe he writes, the book of Hebrews, he says this offering that Jesus gave was a perfect offering, it was flawless. It wasn't by the blood of the animals that they had been taught about all those centuries before, but now he has offered his own blood and a perfect offering it was. Not only was it flawless, but thank God it was finished. He didn't have to go do it over and over and over again. Every week those people of the Jews religion, they had a sacrifice they had to give. There was monthly sacrifices, there was yearly sacrifices and they had to do it every year according to the process that God had given to them. But thank God when Jesus came, it was a one time offering of himself. No wonder he said upon the cross of Calvary it is finished. The plan of redemption, the purchase of the redeemed was finished upon the cross of Calvary that we have life and never to be repeated again. Thank God when Jesus comes again he won't go to a cross, he'll have a crown and he'll have his place of authority. This verse tells us not only was his offering flawless, not only was it a finished once for all time sacrifice, but the Bible says it is forever, it is eternal. It is eternal redemption for you and I, the Hebrews writer contrasts the many sacrifices and the many offerings that were under the law. Thank God what those sacrifices could not do, the Bible says, to take away sin they just simply pushed them forward for a year and pushed them forward for another year or covered them as an atonement. But in Hebrews chapter 10 we are told that when Jesus Christ came to the world he offered himself without spot to God and he offered himself as a perfect pure redeemer to those that will believe. The Bible says in verse number 14 of Hebrews chapter 10 says, for by one offering he has perfected forever of them that are sanctified, perfected how long forever. There we have the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ to offer us eternal redemption, the price that was paid, Jesus purchased redemption and thank God that sacrifice abides even today. Really I say unto you he says there in John 5, he that believe, hearth my word and believe on him that sent me have everlasting life and shall not come in in condemnation and is passed from death under life. That's past tense and we have that which is coming, coming to us and present tense the pardon has been written and given to us if we will believe upon him. So we find that our salvation rest upon the price that was paid by our Savior and the price was the shedding of blood. The Bible says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. There is no forgiveness of sin. We live in a generation and world that they try to do away with the blood and they try to do away with the importance of the blood of Jesus Christ but my friend the scripture says without the shedding of blood there is no remission. It does not just simply say by the death of Christ it talks about the shedding of his blood. He could have died many ways without shedding blood but it took the shedding of his perfect pure righteous royal blood that brings us into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and we call salvation. Not only can we depend upon the price and we can rest upon the price that Jesus paid but secondly our salvation as a believer rest upon the promises that Jesus has proclaimed. I'm glad this book is a promise book. It is a book that gives us promises after promise after promise that we can depend upon him and whatever God says he meant and whatever he meant he said. We've already stated that we have everlasting life, John 3.16 and that is that the believer has a present tense life, John 8, 10.28 but the promises are one that cannot lie. The scripture says in Hebrews chapter 6 that by two immutable things, that's unchangeable things for which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before. I'm glad I can run to him and know that he'll give me hope and give me the refuge that I so desire and must have. We have a comfort that we can embrace God's presence. The story is told of a elderly Welsh lady that was just about to leave this world and she has a visit from her pastor. The pastor says to her sister, are you sinking? She does not answer him and he believed in thinking maybe she did not hear him. He says a little louder, sister, are you sinking? She looked at him with a look that she could not believe that he had asked such a question. He asked the question in one more time. That last raising with all the strength that she had in her frail weak body, she says, I'm sinking, sinking? Did you ever know a sinner to sink through a rock? If I had been standing on the sand, I might sink. But thank God I'm on the rock of ages, there is no sinking there. Thank God this morning through the rock of ages, the Lord Jesus Christ, we do not sink. We stand firm and steadfast upon the eternal riches of his glory and the understanding and the knowledge that we have, a salvation that is real and steadfast, unmovable always abounding upon our heart and life. Here as Jesus talked concerning this prayer of intercession in John chapter 17, he is rejoicing over those whom God has given him, then he has given to them eternal life. And we can have a comfort in knowing the promises that God has given. We can have confidence and he can enjoy the promises of the Lord, a God that cannot lie, the Bible says. Somebody says, is there anything that God cannot do, he says here he cannot lie. And thank God this morning that the God that has told us that he cannot lie, that we can certainly have confidence and joy in his promises. There is a book that was written a few years ago, it's entitled, the day America told the truth. It states in that book that 91% of those that were surveyed lie routinely about the matters they consider trivial. 36% lie about important matters. 86% lie regularly to their parents, 75% to their friends, 73% to their siblings and 69% of lie to their spouses. In the USA today article, the writer Gerald Gillison, he said, many people lie at least 50 times a day. He explained that we lie about our age, we lie about our income, we lie about our accomplishments, we lie about when we're feeling good and when we're not feeling good, we lie because we don't want to hurt people's feelings, we lie when we say we're just kidding, but we have a God that says he cannot lie. And so therefore I can depend upon what he has told me. We have a generation that finds lying acceptable. We have governmental authorities that lying is just second nature, but God never lies. We have friends that will tell us stretch the truth, that's just another way of talking about a lie. Or we don't tell the whole truth, it's another way of not telling the truth. We say, oh, he just exaggerated a little bit, it's not the truth, but it's impossible for God to do any of those things. And so therefore, thank God I can depend on what he tells me. I can depend upon the Word of God, I can depend upon the message that God has given me and when the Scriptures says they shall not come in condemnation, then that's what it means. If the Bible tells us here that Jesus prayed for those that would follow after those disciples because of the Word, I can believe and I can know without any doubt in my heart that Jesus prayed for us there that day. Oh, thank God this morning, if we just believe and understand the message that God has given to us, somebody says, oh dear Saint reply, if God's Word is not true, then I'm lost forever, but his honor is lost also, and he's not going to lose his honor. The reputation of God himself is at stake in the salvation that is offered to every believer. It's effective to those that believe and trust and come into a call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The honor of God is there that he's saved and saved to the uttermost. The salvation that we have is because of the price that was paid, it was because of promises that were given. I'm glad thank God I can rest my salvation in my belief upon the petition that Jesus prayed there in verse 24. I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am that they may behold my glory and thou hast given me for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. I told our son his school class this morning, I've been doing just reading and looking into some verses, it's interesting to find out what the scripture says about things. And here in John chapter 17 verse 24, Jesus said, Lord, those that you give me, I want them to be with me, you've given it for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Before the world was ever in existence, God loved his son. That's hard for us to understand, it's hard for us to put in our little finite mind, but because the scripture says that we must believe it because what God cannot lie. And before there was an earth and before there was a sun and before there was a moon and before the stars were flung into the darkness of the midnight sky, God loved his son, Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us time and time again that there were some things that took place before the foundation of the world. He came as a lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Not only did God love his son, but God recognized him as the sacrifice for sin. And I didn't take place on the spurth moment, and I've hammered this until I just almost tired about walked the hammer, but God did not do something on the spurth of a mold. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, it didn't take God by shock or surprise or all, for God knew he is God. And God didn't have to sit out and wonder what he was going to do because man had sinned. One of these days I'm going to let you all hear that message that just tore me up. I'd hate to waste an hour of your time. God didn't sell over and wonder what in the world am I going to do now if man had sinned and they rejected him. What am I going to do? No, no, thank God. Before the foundation of the world, God had settled that Jesus, his dear, lovely son would come and die for old rugged cruel cross. Bible says, 1 Peter 1, verse 20, who varied before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, little phrase, the process of time. God brings about the purpose of God, it doesn't change the purpose of God, it brings it about. It doesn't alter God's way, it just lets us know his way. I'm glad this morning, thank God, for the petition that Jesus prayed, Father, I pray for them. I pray not only for them, but for those that would come after. The scripture says, for those alone, not just for those alone, but for them also, which shall be leave on me through their word. How did you get saved this morning? Thank God somebody gave you the word of God. It's the preached word of God that reveals to us our condition is lost and reveals to us the love of God that's manifested to those that will come and call upon His name. Thank God. We do that by the word of God. We have that given to us and Jesus, one day He wants us to be and we will be where He is. Heaven would be incomplete without Him, without Him for us and I believe having to be incomplete with Him without us. He desires that those of us that I believe, one day we shall be with Him. Heaven without Christ would not be heaven. Christ declares that His will that His people be with Him in His heavenly home. I ask you this morning, do you know Him? Not do you know about Him, but do you know Him? For the scripture declares to us that, for my grace I would say through faith, the scripture declares to us that it's by the foolishness of preaching that we should believe on Him. That's has done so much for us. Has called upon Him and trusted Him. You know what, what He does, He freezes us. I have to recognize who we are. I don't believe God doesn't force His love on anyone. He didn't force me to love Him, but He sure made it so real that I wanted to love Him. Somebody said, the love of God is there. Can we? What do we do with it? You must believe. It's by that belief that we can become a child of God, the salvation of the believer. Sometime we were all lost in our sins without God in our hope, but thank God He died on the cross of Calvary. Before He died, He said, Father, I pray not all for these that are here with Him, but I pray for those who come back. Those that will hear the Word of God, those that will come to a knowledge of salvation according to the Word of God. There's so many different issues out in the world about salvation, but I'll tell you what you better have one of them right. Jesus is the way of the truth in the life. There's a lot of issues out there about church and what church and what's this and what's that. That's second rate. I'll tell you what's important in your life. You better know Him. Not just about Him, but you better know Him. You can depend on the price that is paid. You can depend on the pardon that was given. You can depend upon all these things, but you need to make sure you know Him. I look at these verses and I see Jesus praying for all those that had been given to Him by the Father and those that would come after. I'm glad to thank God I know one day. I came to know Him and I found out later on that He prayed for me right here. I was in His thoughts, I was in His heart. The song, a few years back, I was on His mind when He was on the cross. I was on His mind a long time before that. Thank God for salvation. It's free. The offered. The whosoever will may come and those whom will let the Lord show them their way, their heart and their ungodliness and their belief upon the Lord, they will do just what He said. You cannot lie. Say it to the others. Let's stand together this morning. I ask you the question. This next Sunday morning, as I mentioned this morning, Brother Ebert will be preaching in the Sunday morning service and looking forward to His preaching to us and this will be there. Next Sunday will be their last Sunday with us going back to the Philippine Islands and so they will be leaving out on Monday. What time you leave out on Monday morning, early, early, if it's like ours, it's early. I know our flight is scheduled out when we go to the Philippines in March. Our flight is scheduled to leave at, I think, 6 o'clock from Evansville and so that's early. So Brother Ebert will be preaching next Sunday morning and maybe next Sunday night, we will not have a meal or anything. Why don't we just have a snack food and okay, that's a good, finger food. I don't like to call it finger food, I don't like to do that, but snack food. So we'll just have some refreshments and something light and easy like that after the service Sunday night and he'll be preaching Sunday morning and we will do that Sunday night and be able to say goodbye to them and pray the Lord's blessings upon them and so you remember that and next Sunday will be taking care of that. If you would take your Bibles tonight and turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 3, we'll be looking in Matthew, Martin, Luke and John, we'll be in the Gospels tonight, we'll probably not be reading all of them, maybe a portion from each one of these passage of scripture. We are in our continuing our series on John the Baptist, this is the third and tonight we'll be dealing with the beginnings of his ministry. We have dealt with the background, so the background of his family. Last week we dealt with his birth and then tonight we do the start with the beginning of his ministry. His ministry wasn't very long but certainly was, very, had a great impact upon people and had a message from the Lord, John, the Gospel of John says there was a man sent from God whose name was John and that's why John airdishes him and of course John the Apostle introducing telling us about John the Baptist, so tonight in Matthew chapter 3, let's begin reading in verse number 1, and if you would stand with me as we read these verses we'll make reference to some of these others in the scripture. Matthew chapter 3, verse number 1 says in those days, came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord make his path straight. And this same John had his, had his remit of camel's hair and a leather and girdle about his lawns and his meat was locust and wild honey. Then went out, then went out to him, Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan and were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins. All right you can be seated and here that was Matthew's account of the beginning part of the ministry of this man called John the Baptist and we've looked at his background and his birth and now tonight we look at the start of his ministry and the beginning of that. It's a ministry that was not very long, it's a very short ministry in comparison to some people. There are those that estimate his ministry of his time with dealing with folks for anywhere from six months to the longest part of possibly up to a year long and we look at that and say, man, he must not have had a very productive ministry. Well, he had a pretty good product and the things were well with him and longevity in the Lord's work is great but it's not always the will of the Lord. The night we look at this man that comes on the scene and it seems as though it just suddenly appears but he was one that had the fire of God upon his life and ministry that was given to him the little book that I had up here last week by F.B. Meyer. He calls on page 45 I was reading some of that this week and he talks about John the Baptist. He was as a spark that had fallen to dry tender or on dry ground and as that spark ignited so many people and the work of the Lord that was begun as he prepared the way of the Lord and giving the ministry and giving forth the message that God had given unto him. Another verse of Scripture, another passage is found in Mark 1, verse 2, it says, as it was written in the prophets, behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee, a voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sin. Now if you would look over to Luke chapter 3 and we'll note some verses here as we get into the message. Here we find the time of John's coming as far as being known unto people. We find it here in Luke chapter 3, it says down to 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being governor of Judah and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip, tetrarch of Eutersia, and the region, I can't pronounce those names, and it gives us those different names there in verse 1, verse 2, anus and seifus being the high priest and the word of God came unto John, the son of Zacharias and the wilderness. So we know that he's not a little baby now, we've passed that stage and we're dealing tonight with a man that probably is approximately 25 to 30 years of age. He's been in the wilderness for some time and probably around about 10 years he's been there and he's receiving the message of the Lord and he is giving the message that God is receiving the message that God has given him. And verse number 3 says, and he came unto all the country about Jordan preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sin as written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness, reparate the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. So here we find that Matthew tells us that in those days, Matthew doesn't go into a lot of details about when John came but Luke spells it out in more detail as even Luke did his birth, it gives a little more detail. All that Luke gives us here seven personalities that are in the world when John came preaching and he gives us those men that are there as persons that are busy and working in the world in the national scene and even in the religious scene, there are seven different people that are mentioned, five of them are political, two of them are religious. But thank God the Lord picked out this man called John, it's not the political influence that was had, it wasn't even the religious influence of the leaders but John was chosen of the Lord to be the one that prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes the insignificant one are those that are really important in God's work, it's not necessarily those that are known in the famous of the world and the people that are known by name and by face and God had not chosen to use them, but God used this man called John as he was in the desert, in the wilderness and the Bible says the word of the Lord came into him and the scripture says then John came as the gospel of John tells us that he came preaching there in the wilderness. Here we find the mandate is given that God has a man, God has got a person that is going to prepare the way for his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, he is the one that goes before them, he is the one that prepared the way, he is the one that went and that would declare out all the things and the places of hardship that might come and there he began to preach concerning the sin of the people and they had a job that had to be done and had a message that had to be preached and here the orders were given that John came to preach unto them and he had a specific message and that message was the message of repentance. It was a message that carried to the people that they had to turn from where they were and to turn to where God would have them to be and that God would use the different means that he had at that day to proclaim the gospel and proclaim the story of the Lord Jesus Christ. The orders were given in accordance to the Word. The Bible says the word of God came into John. It wasn't preached unto him, it wasn't given to him by someone else but the word of God came to John and there he received the message from the Lord that he was to convey to all those people that would come to hear him. These gospels, the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that are called the synoptic gospel, those three places give us the message of the Old Testament of John's ministry. Each one of the gospels quote from Isaiah chapter 40 and then Mark also quote from the book of Malachi chapter 3. Here we find John's ministry was anticipated because they were looking for one that would be coming and would be declaring a Messiah that was to appear. You see they knew as well as we know tonight that we are living in the time that we believe in the coming of Lord Jesus Christ. We understand that the Bible gives us details of how we can look and know that in a particular age or a particular time that we can know that the Lord is near at hand. And they also, I believe, had an understanding that Messiah was to come. And so his ministry was one that they look forward to and all of a sudden here comes one crying out of the wilderness. Then he says prepare you, prepare for the king of heaven is at hand. So John's ministry really wasn't unexpected. It was sort of anticipated. Even before the Lord Jesus was born, some 700 years Isaiah said there would be a man come on the scene and do the very thing that John did. Malachi 400 years before the gospel of Matthew was written. He declared that there would be one that would come and be a preparer of the way. And so John was a man that God had in time now placed in a position that he would be used of the Lord to introduce the Lord Jesus Christ. We will later see is Jesus and John meet maybe even for the first time. John says behold the Lamb of God that takeeth away the sin of the world. God had given him that message and he came into the countryside of the area of Jordan and there he was preaching and he proclaimed the message of the coming of Messiah. He proclaimed the message of the Lord Jesus Christ and he preached a message of repentance that we'll look at in just a little bit. The scripture reveals a little bit about his character. John's humility and John was a man that had certain things about him. He was an humble man. And as he waited for his call, he was there in the wilderness of Judea. And God was preparing him and probably John was instructed of his father concerning the things of the Lord. John would have been in line to be a priest, but I'm sure that Zacharias had delivered him the message that had been given unto him that John was a special person. And now we find him in the wilderness and coming out of the wilderness and probably at about the age of 30 he begins his ministry and he tells the world and tells those around him that others one coming after that is far greater than he. And he waited for the appropriate time as God had put him in a position and God had put him in a place. And now he waited till the right time when God spoke to him and John came out of the wilderness and there he presented the Lord Jesus Christ and he presented the message that God had trained him there in the desert and in the wilderness to proclaim to a world that there was Messiah and that he was the Son of God. Just as John was humble, also John was a man. He had no problem being distinguished as a as a rugged man. If you live in the wilderness, if you live in the desert, you become very rugged and you have to learn how to take care of yourself. He had to have the desire and the knowledge of how to provide for himself. And just as he was an humble man, he was a very rugged man in his ways and in his life. The scripture tells us that he came out and his dress was a little bit different. His look was a little different. His diet was a little different. All those things are there to show us some of the ruggedness and the hardness of this man that was called John. His dwelling is called a desert. It's called a wilderness. It's a wasteland that's hostile to man and also to beast. His dress, both Matthew and Mark and all of them note that he had camel's hair for the covering of his skin and he had a girdle of a leather belt and this was the common dress of just a laborer. He wasn't nothing as far as the world would be concerned. He wasn't something to be desired or to look upon. He was dressed just as a common poor laborer of his day. His diet certainly was different than what most of us would think would be what we would want. He had locust and wild hunting. That was where he lived and so therefore that's what he of what he ate. Locust are thinking that doesn't sound too good. I don't think that's just doesn't sound like a good diet to me but in that land even tonight, even today people will eat locusts there but it's the diet. It's the food for poor people. It's nothing that is to be desired and so his food was that which was other poor. The wild hunting was made by the bees around the city and he had to get that all by himself and had to take care of himself but you see John's priority was not on food. John's priority was not on his looks. John's priority was on the spiritual things and the spiritual need of his people. I believe God had revealed to John the need that the people had and that need was that they must have someone to come and to preach unto him and so therefore there was a not only just a man that had a strange attire and had a strange died but here's a man that had a strange message. He had a message of repentance, a message of coming and here we find the particulars of his message there in this personal life that he had over in Matthew 3 as we read. Let me turn back there and read that again. Matthew chapter 3 and verse number 1 the scripture says in those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea. The theme of his message as we find is in Matthew, Mark and Luke and it's a theme of repentance. Now repentance has always since John has been a message that is to be preached. That may be a little different what John was preaching than what we preach but repentance is repentance and the word repentance just simply means to make a change. It's not just to be sorry for what we've done but it's a change of direction so therefore when we change the direction we're going we are letting go and we're forsaking that which we have done. We turn from that and John's message was repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The indictment here is that they were living in sin so if there had to be repentance there had to be a reason for it and his message was not well received because all of a sudden they realized if we've got a repent that means we're sinners. That means there's something that we have to turn from and they certainly did not desire to do that. The reason for his message was the king of God the king of the Lord was at hand. Jesus was at hand. I know the scripture and I put a little asterisk here. A lot of times people get sort of hung up on the turn kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven and there there is a difference but when we're talking about the kingdom tonight we're talking about this kingdom of that at hand the kingdom of God this is certainly a different kingdom than where they lived. We live in this world. We live as a product of this world and here John come preaching that Jesus is coming and the kingdom of heaven is at hand therefore repent and turn to Him. We preach the same message tonight. We preach that Jesus is coming again and people need the turn from their wicked ways and Jesus Himself even said except you repent and you shall all likewise perish and so the message goes out and the warning is at hand given to them that he is at hand that means he's even at the door. We preach a message tonight in our day and time. We preach that Jesus is coming again. He's coming soon and we preach that he's even at the door and people are to turn and to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. That they are to come unto Him and fall on their face before God and and utter despair knowing that they cannot save themselves and they must come and him believing and trusting in the word of God and the work and the message that God has given to us and so John preached this message and he came out of the wilderness and verse number 2 here in Mark chapter 3 says repent ye for the king of heaven is at hand for it was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet Isaiah had told them some 700 years before you look in Isaiah chapter 40 you'll find almost identical wording here that is given in the gospels you'll find that that Isaiah said there would be one that would come preaching and saying that the king of heaven a voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare you the way of the Lord make his path straight straight out all the curves and filling all the holes and and make the path of the Lord Jesus make it good for him because he is coming. Thank God we have a message tonight that Jesus is coming again his his coming the first time was rejected and they crucified him but he comes again the second time there will not be any debate on who he is and there will be no discussion on who he is there there will not be any choice and he'll be the supreme ruler when it's all said and done but the warning was given to these people to prepare the way of the Lord make straight for his past because the king of heaven is at hand it's just even at the door so therefore we ought not to be surprised and those folks should not have been surprised at the coming of Messiah and neither as we should be surprised at his second coming and because they were expected they were they were not surprised at his coming but they were surprised at the message that surrounded his coming and that message was one of repentance that makes it very urgent when we realize that it's even at the door it makes it a very urgent call that when we understand that he is here we've got to do something he is at the door what are we going to do I believe there's a day coming that the Lord will be at the door and people will have to make their decision we're at that time right now that he is even at the door we talk about the coming of the Lord we desire to talk about it but just as those folks during the Lord's time and John's time they didn't want to hear the message of repentance and either the folks of our day people want to have the Messiah but they don't want to be rebuked for their sins people want to have the good side of the Lord coming but they don't want to do what the Bible says concerning the receiving or the reception of the Lord Jesus Christ John came the Bible says he came preaching he was a preacher he wasn't just a political person he wasn't just a speaker but the Bible says he came preaching that was the method of his proclamation preaching the Word of God is to cry out and to herald the message of the Lord Jesus Christ need to give us a certain sound need to give a message that is well understood and a message that folks can understand the the call of God I put here first Corinthians 148 it says for if the trumpet given uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the battle if there's an uncertain sound we don't know what to do and I'm afraid all across our world all across our land tonight and even this morning I'm afraid there's a lot of uncertain sounds there's a lot of sounds that we just not real sure people are not real sure as to what is going to take place but the Bible says if that trumpet gives an uncertain sound how we go prepare for battle and as Paul wrote to the Corinthian church he wanted them to realize that the sound that they made in the proclamation that they gave and the message that that they stood for was a message that people would know and understand where they were I believe people need to know where we stand I believe people around our community need to know where grace Baptist church stands on issues on things on and certainly we are known for certain things and we are known for where we where we stand upon the scripture and where we stand upon different accounts of things that go on around us and and we need to give a certain sound so many people giving that uncertain sound the method of proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ coming was preaching the message of proclaiming salvation and I is still the same method it is preaching Lord has chosen as we read and as we mentioned even this morning that he has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save those that are lost the world thinks it's foolish the world thinks it's silly the world thinks it's old-fashioned it's out of date there's other things that could be done there's other ways and other means and methods that can be used but you'll never improve upon God's method and his method is preaching and so John came preaching and his message was very clear he did not give an uncertain sound he gave a certain clear message of what they need to do it was to repent where was his place of proclaiming did he go to the cities did he go to the large metropolitan area no he's out in the wilderness he was out there just in the middle of what would be considered nowhere the Bible says that he's in the wilderness of Judea there wasn't a temple there there wasn't a place of worship there but God had met with him on those in that that particular place and God had given him the message and and now he comes out of the wilderness he's preaching a message that that they'd never heard and he had a fairly good crowd following him had a fairly good group of people that as they as they heard the message they followed after him Matthew chapter 3 and verse 5 it says and went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan that doesn't mean everybody came but it means that everybody in that area was touched by the message of John I'm sure I'm sure it's like around a lot of places not everybody goes not everybody is is there but all the region was influenced by the preaching of this man called John the size of his audience of all Judea and the region around there certainly made an impact upon people of that location then they I'm sure wondered what is what is different about this man then all others and the prophets that had come now remember the law and the prophets were until John and John came as a proclamer of a of a of a message and preparing the way of the of the Lord and John had a story and the audience were there and they were hinging upon to every word that he said when you read all the things about John had a large gathering and a large following but to say the least they wasn't too stable they didn't stay with him some of them now some of them were were sincere but many of them were not he comes and he proclaims the gospel verse number seven of Matthew chapter three certainly we find he did not preach to influence people and to make friends verse number seven says but when he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees come to his baptism he said to them old generation of vipers who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come that one too that one too politically correct for John that one too too wise for John to say because he saw the the the Sadducees and the Pharisees that was the religious crowd that was those that had religion and they come to his to his gatherings and his baptism and he said you generation of vipers who's told you to come and who's given you the story to flee from the wrath to come some of those that came were coming out of just wanting to find out and curiosity seekers they had heard about John so they come and also as he spots them he said you generation of vipers really what he calls it you snakes snakes in the grass and the message that he had wasn't too appealing to some people some of them left him some of them didn't stay with him the thank God for those that did stay and for those that later on the Lord Jesus Christ took the material of John the Baptist and he said upon this rock I'll be on my church or out of that material that John those people that were that came over to the things of God and those people that were brought into the household of they this man called John he baptized them and Jesus took that and so very soon they became what we call that first early church we'll look at that later on in our study we'll find how how God brought all that together and here in the very beginning of the ministry John just comes preaching and that preaching was a message of repentance is a preach is a message of telling people that they needed to turn from their sins and turn to God and turn from their wickedness many of some came and believed some came and did not believe some malton scoff some turned their back the thank God for that some that stayed with him you know it's sort of like that today there are those that will come out of curiosity there are those that will come just to see what's going on there are those that will come and they'll make all the outward appearances of what everybody else is doing they really don't have anything but thank God for the few that will stick by the thank God for the few that when they really get a hold of the message of God they come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and then the Lord leads us and guides us and helps us in all the things we do in our personal life just to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ John the Baptist was a man sent from God John the apostle says he was a man there was a man named John he came from God he got his name from God we've saw that in our we've seen that in our lessons before that Jesus are the the angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias and said his name shall be called John and now he got his message from the Lord and he's going to go forth and his his popularity will grow and then it will diminish he will finally lose his hand because of his stand because of that clear message that he gave that certain sound I pray God would help us to have a trumpet of a certain sound that we'd have a message of clarity and tell people that the only way to be saved is by the grace of God there's no other way but the way of the Lord Jesus Christ no other way but this and they God help us to give a clear message all we're not in the wilderness and we're not in the wilderness like John our diet's a little different and our attire is a little different but we have the message and it is a message of repentance and faith toward God the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior trusting him and believing upon him there was a man named John and so in his ministry and here tonight we've seen just the early as he makes his appearance and most of you just follow him and now next week we'll deal with his baptism you'll find here that anytime you anytime you read about John the Baptist you're going to read about baptism you're going to read about what the Lord had commanded him to do and so in verse number six of Matthew 3 it says that they came verse 5 says they went to him Jerusalem all Judea and all the region around about Jordan and were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins there's the ministry there's part of the work that John had and he came baptizing something little different than what they'd ever seen and heard and they brought about a lot of spectators and a lot of people wondering but John's message was the repentance John's method was given that he preached and in doing that he then he baptized them and he would not baptize until he saw fruit of where they had really repented of their sin sort of different than today a lot of times our Baptist churches they want to see how many they can count and how many they can get in the waters and it really doesn't matter if they've done anything right or not just so we can count them that wasn't John's method that wasn't John's way and I really don't think that ought to be our way and we need to we need to know for sure where we stand with the Lord all right let's stand together tonight and pray God give you a good a good week and tell somebody about the Lord Jesus Christ and pray the Lord of bless as we serve him and honor honor him day by day of our life

part 4

4 number IV, Life of John the Baptist.

For our scripture reading tonight we'll just read in Matthew and then we'll be dealing some in Luke okay well we'll share around for need to all right tonight let's begin reading in Matthew chapter number three and we'll again inverse numbers verse number six Matthew chapter three and you just remain seated tonight we read these verses we'll be looking at these plus some others tonight as we deal with the subject of John the Baptist and his baptizing and very that that's what John's known for much of his ministry was introducing people to this thing called baptism and we'll be dealing with some of that tonight we'll not be able to get into all of it but just touch some of the high points tonight in in this particular passage of scripture Matthew chapter three and verse number six the word of God says and we're baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins but when he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees come come to his baptism he sent to them old generation of vipers who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come bring forth therefore fruits meet for for repentance and think not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to to our father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to rise up children unto Abraham and now also the acts is laid into the root of the trees now therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire I indeed baptize you with water and to repentance but he that comeeth after me is mightier than I who shoes I'm not worthy of to bear he should baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire who Spanish in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the to the garter but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire then come with Jesus from Galilee to Jordan under John to be baptized of him but John forbend him saying I have need to be baptized of thee and and come us thou to me and Jesus answering said to him suffer to be so now for thus it become a become of us to fulfill all righteousness then he suffered him and Jesus when he was baptized went up straight way up out of the water and low the heavens were open unto him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him and low a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased that's the reading down through the remainder of the chapter verse number 17 shortly after the public ministry of John began he began this thing called baptism and of course it became such an integral part of his ministry and such an important part of his ministry that he became known as John the the baptizer which later was John the Baptist and we understand that some people I know go back and they say that John was the first one to be called Baptist because of because of that denomination title but to really and truly when you read the scriptures you'll find that John was called a Baptist before he ever baptized anyone but he was a baptizer and that's why the name came to him later back in the third century the terminology the term came about as anababdus which means to rebab ties or the word anna means to redo and so there's a group of people that became known as the anababdus or the rebab tiesers and the reason they rebab ties is because much of the organized religion they would baptize infants and they would baptize those that were not were not saved and those anabdus by the way we go back to them and we we go back all the way back to the Lord Jesus Christ in our doctrinal stance and our doctoral understanding of the scripture and they they were called anababdus because they rebab ties they demanded there be a repentance and they demanded that there be a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Babdus people from then on have always gotten in trouble with that subject of baptism it has always been an importance always been an important doctrine and doctrine that we need to understand and we're not get into all the the different facets of baptism tonight but because we're dealing with this man called John that was sent from God and the Bible says he came out of the wilderness preaching and he came out of the wilderness not only preaching but baptizing those that would follow after him and so we want to look at this particular phase of his ministry tonight and get into that we noted last Sunday night that John's ministry was a very short ministry he did not have a long ministry it range time frame not more than a year probably more like six to eight months that John's ministry was upon this earth and he got in trouble for his preaching he got in trouble for some of the things that he said and did and then he ended up losing his head because of his standup on morality and the moral right things to have in a person's life but we find here that the scripture tells us that there's that he had many crowds or many people that followed after him I got here to a Roman number one the baptizing of the crowds and his his ministry involved baptizing many many people different walks of life different styles of life and many of those folks came later to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ we understand we know that out of the baptism of John now the the group that John had that was his close disciples out of that group came the apostles and the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and John said I must decrease so he may increase and John was as a forerunner before the Lord but not on that he was a preparer of the way and his John preached repentance and he preached the baptism of repentance there were those that followed him that later became the the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter one in verse 33 makes it very clear that the baptism that John had was a baptism that came from God he tells us in John 133 John the apostle John makes this statement concerning John the Baptist he sent me to baptize with water and we know from reading history that this wasn't a traditional thing that was taking place in the Jews time during that particular day but John came doing something different and he came preaching and he came baptizing out of the wilderness I have a I showed you the book back when we first started this little book by F.B. Meyer at it's on John the Baptist and he makes this statement concerning John's baptism he says John the Baptist cannot be accounted for by any of the preexisting conditions of his time it is enough for us to remember that he was sent to baptize that the idea of his baptism was from heaven and so we find that God had given him orders and given him plan the mandate literally to go into to preach and to baptize baptism that John had was a baptism of repentance it was a baptism that had to have a public declaration of one's repentance and one that had come to recognizing themselves as a as a sinner and one recognizing themselves and needing what John was preaching about and so John's baptism was a baptism of those that had repented or as we noticed earlier in our study that that repentance was a turning from and turning unto the Lord and turning away from their sin and turning to God and John we find here tonight as we read and we look at in just a moment but he told those scribes and Pharisees to bring forth fruit and meet for repentance he said I'm not just going to baptize you because you want to be baptized and and to do what everybody else is doing but there had to be proof of repentance in their their heart and so we find during that day that was a baptism of repentance over on the next page or the top of the second page we find here today I put a statement here concerning our baptism it it means that plus much more it's more than just a baptism of repentance but we are identified with the Lord Jesus Christ by his death his burial and his resurrection we are identified with what Christ did for us on Calvary and baptism is that that shows for to the world that we have died to our old nature we have buried that nature and that we have raised in in newness of life to walk after the things of the Lord Jesus Christ our baptism states that we have believed upon one that has come John's baptism was stating one that was coming he said he that is coming after me is preferred before me and so he was he was preaching about Jesus that would come and we preach about Jesus that has come and therefore our baptism refers back to Calvary as a testimony of our repentance and faith to God and following the Lord in believers baptism and following him in that method of scriptural baptism that we we have in recognizing and showing symbolizing the death of our Savior the burial of our Savior and in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ now the world has a lot of problems with baptism not only the world but a lot of Christian world has problems with this thing called baptism a lot of different ideas there's a lot of different thoughts and a lot of a lot of things that circulate about really what baptism is and how to do it and why do it and and the there's a lot of modes or methods of ways of baptizing but in the world's religion there's three main things that are called baptism you have immersion you have sprinkling and you have pouring and we as Baptist people have always felt and always believed and we believe the Bible teaches that the right and mode of baptism is immersion it is going under the water picturing the burial of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be buried with him in in baptism now the the world has the the sprinkling and the pouring and and some will do either one or do both but the word of God tells us I believe in his very clear concerning the mode of baptism the primary meaning of the word that is translated baptize in our scripture means to plunge under means to immerse it means to dip and so it just simply means that you go into the water you go under the water and you come up out of the water and we'll notice some scriptures tonight along the that line have already dealt just a little bit with the symbolism of baptism it is a burial and when the person dies you don't sprinkle dirt on them you bury them under the dirt and when a person dies you don't pour the dirt on them you put them under the ground and so baptism as a encembalism has to be a a burial because you're going under the water representing the burial of Lord Jesus Christ and then coming up out of the water resurrection thank God for resurrection ground Jesus didn't stay in that burial tomb he didn't stay in the in the grave he came forth victorious out of there and in the baptism the coming out of the water represents the resurrection of our Savior to be alive forever more we died to the old man we bury the dead and we come forth to walk in newness of life with the Lord Jesus Christ I want to want us to turn to these four different passages here that are given here underneath the scene it should be plural the scenes of baptism the scripture gives us some some things that we can can look to and you'll notice here that in these scriptures you'll find that this baptism is a is a burial in John chapter three turn over there if you would just for moment we'll try to read these these verses John chapter three in verse number 23 it says in John also was baptizing and an in on near Salem because there was much water there they came and were baptized now the scripture tells us here that John was baptizing in this particular here because there was a lot of water now if it was pouring your sprinkling you don't have to have a lot of water but John was baptizing in this particular place and the Bible says here that it was because there was much water that was there look over in Matthew chapter three in verse 16 we read that verse just a moment ago but let's read it again Matthew 316 the scripture says and Jesus when he was baptizing went straight way out of the water and load the heavens were open unto him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him so we find here that Jesus when he was baptized went up straight way out of the water so we know that they was at least in the water at that particular point Mark chapter 1 and verse number 10 Mark chapter 1 and verse number 10 this is just the same pretty much the same passage as the one that we just read and straight way coming out of the water he saw the heavens opened and the spirit like a dove descending up on him now turn over to Acts chapter 8 Acts chapter number 8 of course this passage scripture is concerning Philip and the Ethiopian in Acts chapter 8 and verse number 35 they've already had some discussion on about who he was reading about there and Isaiah 53 and verse number 35 says Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus and as they went on their way they came into a certain water and the unit said here is water what does hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if thou believed with all thy heart thou mayest now there's a scripture that shows that we believe in a regenerated person being baptized Philip said if you believe if you have faith if you believe then you can be baptized and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he commanded cherry to stand still and they went down both into the water both Philip and the unit and he baptized him and when they were come up out of the water the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip and the unit saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing so here we find a they they're going along the way and their cherry it and Philip is talking to this Ethiopian and telling him about the good things of the Lord and and witnesses to him and and in that witness Philip had to mention the importance of baptism to him but when they came to this water he said here's water what does hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if you believe you know tonight the only thing that would hinder a person from being baptized correctly is their unbelief and if we would believe we are candidates for that ordinance that we call baptism scripture baptism in our belief of the Lord Jesus is our Savior and he said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he commanded cherry to stand still they went down into the water and they came up out of the water and so there's some scenes of where the water is mentioned concerning concerning baptism before we baptize anyone may personally or most preachers that I know before we baptize anyone we want to examine and make sure they know the Lord Jesus as their Savior that's important because if we're if we're not careful and I think you can prove we could prove this tonight if we went out and did some door knocking and if you talk to very few people very many people and you ask them if they's going to heaven they'll tell you who baptized them or they'll tell you they're a member of a certain church or they they would say yes I'm I'm a Christian I was baptized and he gives it they'll give you the time and in our minds we go back to that particular thing but that's not what takes us to heaven what takes us to heaven is our faith and our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and baptism is an answer the New Testament tells us this is an answer toward God and gives us a good conscience toward God that we follow his word it's important that we do not baptize anyone that is not saved now I have a hard time using the term re-baptize because you only have one baptism now you may go on the water a lot of times and you may be put under and the words may be said but if a person is not saved then they're not baptized and somebody said well I got baptized back long time before God saved is that all right no that's not all right because it does not picture what we believe in what we state as concerning what believers baptism is there's only one baptism and that is after salvation it's after we have been saved I know folks have been baptized three or four times but at least they went into the water three or four times but no got baptized once and I know that's a technicality in a technical term and but we have to need certainly need to be careful because there's only one one method one mode of scriptural baptism we have to have the right candidate has to be saved have to have the right authority have to have the church have to have the right mode and that's that's immersion have to have the right motive and that's to satisfy and to please the Lord Jesus Christ and so those things are important when we talk about being baptized and following the Lord Jesus Christ in believers baptism I love that term believers baptism because that states where we are that's what we believe a person that is a believer a non-believer has no part in this and has no reckoning concerning baptism that is for the child of God for the believer and of course the Lord has given us that as one of the ordinances of our church one of the two ordinances baptism in the Lord suffer and they're very very important now we come here tonight we find that in John's ministry he dealt with a lot of people and he had a lot of different groups that that followed after him and listened to his preaching now if he would turn over to Luke chapter number three this is the other passage that we deal with primarily tonight in these few minutes that we have in Luke chapter number three we have the account pretty much what we'd read in Matthew but in Luke is a little more detailed in some of the other gospel writers and so we look at this tonight and there's some groups of people that are mentioned that were baptized of John and primarily there were four groups the first group is that religious crowd describes and the Pharisees that came unto John now in verse number seven here of Luke chapter three he said now then said he to the multitude there's a good group of people that was following the the the Baptist John the Baptist and this multitude is identified where we read tonight as the scribes and Pharisees this is who he was talking to he said this multitude that came forth to be baptized of him here's his words to them now you can rest assured John was not trying to win friends and influence people that wasn't his perocard he was not being politically correct and he was just simply stating some facts to this religious group that was following after him and they they what they saw was all that multitude following John they wanted to get in on the action they won't know what was so popular about John and and they certainly didn't want to lose their grip and their hold on the people sort of like religion today not much different it just 2000 years ago but the underlying issues are still the same is controlled and so they came to John to be baptized and notice here what he says they come the out of this most he says old generation of vipers who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come well John knew he was all one preaching that particular message at that time and he knew he wasn't hadn't talked to them he knew that they hadn't been in his his group and so he says who's told you to flee from the wrath of God that wrath it is to come and he says you're nothing more than a generation of vipers they were poisonous infectious in their nature you'll understand as we read the scripture and as we have studied from time to time you'll understand that it is this crowd that always bothered the Lord Jesus Christ it was always this religious crowd that brought accusation against the son of God they were the ones that said why he sits down and eat with sinners well that was true and the Bible tells us he came to seek and to save that which was lost that was the purpose of Lord coming to deal with sinners but the religious crowd describes in the Pharisees and the Sadducees they were according to John's estimation of them they were nothing more than just a bunch of poisonous snakes their their nature was one to get a hold of you and to destroy you with their venom and and tear down what might be given to us truth there's a lot of religious crowd after the night to do the same thing to you there's a lot of groups out there and they'll do anything they can to get you out of the house of God under the name of religion and they'll feed you their lives and they'll feed you their things that sound good on the outside but when you begin to delve into them you'll find out they're just a bunch of vipers trying to suck the blood of life out of you as far as spiritual things are concerned and so their character these religious leaders character was one of vipers now John gave him a command he said you you bring forth fruits of repentance John says for I baptize you I won't have to see something out of you before I'll put you under the water John says you're going to have to bring forth fruit of repentance verse number eight here in Luke chapter number three bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance and begin not to say within yourselves we have Abraham well John knew their heart he knew that the the command was that they had to be had to bring forth fruit he said don't don't say that just because you're the seat of Abraham don't think that's going to help you because that's not going to do anything for you if you ever had somebody to say well you ask him are you going to heaven and the very first thing they'll say well yes my mom and dad were good Christians well that's well and good but what about you what about you individuals how about your life and so John was looking at this religious crowd and he said now before I'll baptize you you'll bring forth fruit meet for repentance bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance and begin not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our father for I say to you that God is able to these stones to rise up children unto Abraham right nothing to be a child of Abraham John said well God can raise up the rocks to be better than you and so the the circumstances around them they need to realize that they were fleeting people they were disappearing people put in here a passage scripture concerning the Pharisees Luke chapter seven verse 29 through 33 and we find here and all the people that heard him the publicans justified God being baptized with the baptism of John but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the Council of God against themselves the Pharisees now they they didn't want to have anything to do with the Lord they justified themselves now the publicans and the sinners they were justified of the Lord they believed God but the Pharisees and the lawyers and by way the lawyers are the same as the Sadducees they rejected the Council of God and the Lord said we're into then shall I liken the men of this generation and to what are these like they are like the children sitting in the marketplace calling one to another and saying we have piped under you and you've not danced we have mourned to you and you've not wept for John the Baptist came neither eating bread or drinking wine and you say he hath a devil he said he just because he was different you say he hath a devil and if you read on down another couple of verses and the Lord said I came I came eating and drinking and you said I was I was of the devil also and so nothing would satisfy the scribes and the Pharisees that's the religious crown that's one group John preached to and some of them he baptized not many the next group though just the regular people Luke chapter 3 and verse 10 calls on the people they were the sinners that had asked and they asked the question what shall we do when they heard John's message they were pricked in their heart and they said what shall we do they were just the regular people then there was the tax collectors there was the revenue people in Luke chapter 3 verse 12 and 13 here in our text says then came also publicans to be baptized and sent him master what shall we do so here's the religious crowd coming they want to be baptized here's the here's just the regular people coming they want to be baptized and the the the publicans the revenue collectors the tax collectors come and they they were the most despised people of all those around sort like today we really like the tax collectors we don't like to have to pay the bill but we have to and by the way the Lord said if Caesar's pictures on the on the coin that belongs to him anyway and to pay him what his fair share and so the the tax collectors came and they they came to be to be baptized then verse number 14 is another group and the soldiers the soldiers likewise demanded of him saying and what shall we do what do we have to do to be baptized you see this thing of baptism is really catching on when John was in the land of Galilee the religious folks came in order to get in the crowd and the regular people came the revenues came now the Roman soldiers are here and they came and they said Lord or John what what must we do notice here his answer he addressed he addressed them he tells the he tells the tax collectors he said exactly no more than what is appointed to you really waste times just live right do right don't get more than y'all to get see during that time the tax collectors all they they had a certain amount they had to pay to roam anything over that they kept for themselves that's why they were hated because there was no rule on how much they collected and so now the soldiers come and they said John what what must we do what shall we do and he sent them do violence to no man neither neither accused any falsely and be content with your wages here's the here's what John told them though he said first of all he says in this verse he says do violence to no man if you know anything about the Roman government the Roman Empire of that time they were very violent empire they had freedom to do pretty much what they wanted to do to anybody not like good old USA they had the had the right the soldiers could I could do pretty much what they want to do to their subjects to anybody and John said now if you're going to be baptized there's got to be some repentance here do do violence to no man and he tells them also he he says first next you just don't don't slander don't falsely accuse anyone and then he said just be content with your salary must've been a must've been a problem in that day so'd like today they they they wasn't content with what they had and the Roman soldiers were complaining about that and John said now if you want to be baptized you've got to have fruit I believe it's good tonight if people come to follow the Lord baptism that they bring for fruit this evidence of salvation evidence of being a child of God evidence of a of a Christian and so there's the the group of those that were falling around John in his baptism but then more importantly than any of the others is here on the last page we just very quickly go through this part and that's found in Mark chapter one and verse nine Mark chapter one and verse nine and it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized of John in Jordan of all those that John baptized there was not a more important person to come to him this is the greatest baptism that would ever be performed by this man called John for two reasons first of all he was the son of God and John knew he was and we'll we'll get into that particular passage when John sees and coming to hold the Lamb of God that take it the way that send the world now John we have studied was six months older than Jesus and Elizabeth conceived and bear son and and even in the time of her pregnancy their pregnancy she goes and sees Mary and she is six months ahead of Mary in the conception and the birth of John six months later comes Jesus so John was six months older than the son of God as far as the earth is earthly time is concerned and so here John is and Jesus John is baptizing in Jordan and here comes Jesus down the the trail and John looks upon him and says behold the Lamb of God that take it the way that send the world and Jesus comes unto John and and he wants to be baptized and the scripture says there that it came to pass that Jesus came from Nazareth the Galilee and was baptized of John and we know where in the Jordan River so there he's the son of God secondly this is the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ with his baptism Jesus begins his earthly ministry upon this upon this earth and begins to deal with people and from that point on John said I must decrease he must increase he is the one that I've been preaching about he is the one that I've been dealing with he's the one that I've been telling about don't follow me and I'll follow him takes a real a real person especially a person that is important and knows people are following him takes a real man to be say don't look to me any longer go to him and so we find here when Jesus comes to John if we look at all these verses scripture will not take the time to do that but there was a protest that John had when Jesus came to be baptized with him John said no he this he said I I need to be baptized of you now I ought to be baptized of you not me he said I'm not even worthy to unlatch your shoes Lord and so there was a protest here from John and showed his humility and showed his rightful heart but also showed who Jesus was as the son of God showed his holiness I put in here let her be the purpose of the baptism now there's no way we could get into all the different ideas of why Jesus was baptized of John a lot of controversy over that there's a lot of people puzzled about that I just put a couple of simple things here tonight the baptism the purpose Jesus was baptized first of all was I believe to identify the Lord with sinful man that's why he came he came to seek into that and save that which was lost in his baptism he was identified as a as a man as an individual and then secondly it showed what he would experience symbolically his death and his burial and his resurrection and certainly we have that given to us time and time again in Matthew chapter 3 in verse 15 we find what we read tonight and let's go back there again that first pastor's scripture in Matthew 3 15 the scripture says and Jesus answering saddened him suffered to be so now for thus it be come with us to fulfill all righteousness then he suffered him here we find the performing of the baptism this suffering him is an act of submission of John toward the Lord Jesus Christ man by the writer F.B. Meyer that I quoted while ago wrote some things while ago he says in all of our human life there's nothing more attractive than when a strong man yields to another I read on in that passage of scripture he's talking about a strong man that yields to another strong man and here are two strong men that have come together and and he yields and submits himself to the word of God and to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ he yielded his will to that of the Lord Jesus Christ and you know before we ever get saved we'll have to do the same thing before we ever come know the Lord is our savior we're about to yield our will to his will we're about saying not my will but thine be done that's what Jesus said concerning his father he said Lord not my will father not my will but your will be accomplished it's just simply an act of submission and in Luke chapter 3 in verse 21 this is the only place in the in the gospels that tell you this and at the baptism there was a prayer in Luke chapter 3 and verse number 21 will read this one together it says now when all the people were baptized and it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and praying the heaven was opened when Jesus was baptized he was praying and the scripture says here that the heaven heaven was opened and there we find it the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him and a voice came out of heaven which said thou art my beloved son and thee I am well pleased while Jesus was being baptized Luke is the only writer that tells us that while he was there in the water being baptized the little phrase there and praying well prayers what a such an important part of our life and should be an ought to be has to be important part of our life John or Luke tells us here at the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus was praying mark 316 and then also in John tells us that this was a proof that Jesus Christ was the Messiah behold the Lamb of God that comes to take away the sin of the world and then when he's baptized God said this is my beloved son the son of God deity Messiah whom I am well pleased and that's the proclamation that is given he's declared to be the son of God Romans chapter 1 verse 4 says he's declared to be the son of God with power and God now he has all power all powers giving him heaven earth and he tells us to go there for in that power preaching and doing the same thing baptizing in the name of the Father the son and the Holy Ghost so the the the the method that the method that John used was baptizing in water immersion I believe it was and believe the scripture teaches that and he said you before I baptize you you're going to have to show forth proof that you have had a change or you've had repentance in your heart and in your life and he said you religious people if you those scribes and Pharisees he wouldn't baptize you just a bunch of snakes now that's the only group that John ever talked to like that sometimes religious people have to be talked to very very straightforward a bunch of snakes a bunch of vipers he said before I baptize you go have to prove to me that you've made a change and may God help us tonight to realize that when we get saved there is a change that takes place in our life there's a difference thank God there's a difference in what the Lord has done for us and how he blesses making us a new creature in Christ Jesus and brother even read this morning we're a new creature we're in the Lord and makes us a fresh and new person and baptism now in this church age in which we live is our identification you talk to any missionary and I'm sure brother Dan could tell you the same thing but on a mission feel the most important thing that a believer does is to follow the Lord and believers baptism because that is their identification that they are no longer with their with their group and with their worshipping their old gods and their old way that baptism sets them apart when it sets us apart tonight as a child of God it's our identification that we have been saved we have died to the old sinful nature we have become a new creature we buried that and we raised in newness of life to walk after the things and to follow the Lord Jesus Christ John the Baptist important man in the scripture important deeds that he did message that he preached but he came baptizing and it was something different something new and there were some forms of baptism going on in that particular time but not what John was doing he came preaching repentance for the kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven is at hand may that be our message tonight a little different than John's but we preach about a savior that has come and John said he's coming and I'm preparing the way and I'm I'm making straight paths for him and when he saw him he said the Lamb of God that take it away the sin of the world let's stand together tonight and as we have a prayer of this missile and thank the Lord for what he's done for us I do appreciate the good message this morning brother Ebert brought to us and thank the Lord for that and we have refreshments over in the gymnasium everybody's invited to come we would love for you to stay and this is just a farewell to brother Dan Mr. Dodd as they will be leaving in the morning and certainly has been our pleasure having them in our services and and to become acquainted with them and to hear the what the Lord's done in these many years of serving the Lord Jesus Christ and I believe we'll hear other things and great things that we'll do yet in the future because we're not home yet we got a lot to do and things are going just exactly the way the Lord wants them to go and then we stay busy until we meet him